Enveda, a biotechnology startup that uses artificial intelligence to identify new medicines from nature, has raised $311 million in a Series E funding round, giving it a valuation of $2 billion. This latest round was led by Catalio Capital Management, with additional investments from firms like Iconiq. The new funding doubles the company's valuation from 12 months ago, showing strong investor confidence in its approach. Enveda was founded in 2019 by Viswa Colluru, an early employee at Recursion Pharmaceuticals, with the goal of accelerating drug discovery by using AI and other advanced techniques to analyze natural sources like plants and microbes. The company's core idea is that nature contains a vast array of chemical compounds that could be harnessed to create powerful medicines, rather than developing them entirely in a lab. This approach is part of a growing trend in the pharmaceutical industry to explore natural sources for new treatments. While AI has not yet led to the approval of any drugs by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Enveda is one of the companies pushing AI-discovered drug candidates into human clinical trials, where they are tested for safety and effectiveness. Currently, Enveda is conducting clinical trials on several drug candidates. One of these is aimed at treating severe skin conditions, while another is designed to help people maintain weight loss after stopping the use of GLP-1 receptor agonists, a class of drugs commonly used for weight management. These trials are crucial steps in determining whether the AI-discovered drugs will be safe and effective for patients. Enveda's progress highlights the increasing role of artificial intelligence in drug discovery, a field that is evolving rapidly. By combining AI with biological research, the company is working to bring new treatments to market more efficiently than traditional methods. As the startup continues its trials and develops new candidates, it could play a key role in shaping the future of medicine through innovative, nature-inspired therapies.